Let this not be the first of three

My weekend of "adventures in baking" took an unexpected twist this morning.  It started fine and my cinnamon rolls were looking fabulous.  (Just so there's no confusion this time.....this is of them raw/un-cooked)

I popped them in the oven and set the timer.  Thirteen minutes later I took them out and they looked just about the same. I stuck my arm in the oven and it sure didn't feel like 425 degrees.  The bottom element in my oven has died.  Please........don't let 2 more appliances crap out!!

But on a positive note, I think I've got the hang of rolling them.  I guess I wasted my time running around after work yesterday scouring stores for cornmeal.  No cornbread tomorrow :(  I don't think I was meant to be a baker.  

We got another butt-load of snow today.  I ventured out to shovel and after about 15 minutes a random man in a black truck with a plow on the front stopped and took 2 quick swipes across the front of my driveway.  Then he waved and drove away.  WOW - random act of kindness eh!  I took him 2 minutes and probably saved me over an hour of shovelling.   So, to the mystery man - THANK YOU

Not again??

So, for the 2nd time this week another storm is on the way tonight and tomorrow.  Another 30 cms on top of what's already here.  January, you suck!

Yes, like all the other people in town, I went to the store for supplies.  It's like we think it's the apocalypse or something.  Yet I hear my Grandmothers voice in my head "If it's going to snow we need to get bread and milk". Lol   It was hard to find a parking spot in their lot. 

But unlike my Grandmother, I felt compelled to stop at one more store for "supplies" for the storm

Tomorrow I may try some more adventures in baking.  Stay tuned (for a laugh)

Storm re-cap

It seems like it's over. Except for the freezing rain that's supposed to start at midnight.  But I have to say I had a very enjoyable blizzard.  I am still in my jammies.  Couldn't go anywhere and nobody could get in. 

The sweet and sour meatballs turned out perfect.  They are so tender and juicy when done in the slow cooker.  And I also made a batch of "celebration brownies". The celebration part of the recipe is Bailey's.  Yummm

I debated trying the cinnamon rolls again but changed my mind.  By the way, the picture of them from a previous post --- they were cooked.  That's how bad they turned out.  So for those of you who thought I threw them out raw - nope!  It was an epic fail. 

I also re-read this mornings post and realized I didn't attach the photo of the heart mat in progress.  Sorry.  Here it is before

I've since pulled out the green and replaced with a different color.  Still don't like it but I'm moving on.  The colors in this pic are not accurate.  Bad night lighting 

A bit ago I heard a noise outside.  My sweet neighbor's boyfriend cleared out the front of my driveway with his truck plow.   So that greatly reduces the amount of shovelling I will have to do tomorrow morning.  I love my neighbors! 

I hope all the Easterners had an enjoyable storm day too 

It's a storm day

The first blizzard of 2015 is here.  I got the happy call before 7am that work was closed for the day.  And virtually everything else in town.   This was the scene on my street around 8am

The wind is howling now.  I'm all tucked in and ready for whatever comes next.  All my devices are charged up and I made a quick batch of meatballs in the slow cooker.  I did that as soon as I got up in case the power goes out later today.  By the sound of the wind, there's a good chance of that happening. 

The rest of the day I plan to stay in my jammies, binge watch Netflix and hook.  I started this the other night and now I have to re-hook the leaves and vine with a lighter green. It's lost in the background.  

Candles, flashlights and blankets are ready just in case.  My friend Cathy from Acorn Hollow shared this great snow gauge with me on facebook.  I'll give it a try today :)

Hope sinks....

I woke up this morning filled with hope.  I was going to make a primo batch of grandma's cinnamon rolls.  I was psyched and confident.  

So hopeful

Still hopeful....

Then.....during the "rolling phase" hope began to get a little tenuous..... And with good reason

Hope sank!  They are in the trash.  I'll try again next weekend.  I think I need to practice more.  So instead I made instant cream of wheat for breakfast. Not the same :(

Since then the laundry is tumbling, the slow cooker is cooking, the kitchen is sparkling again, Netflix is streaming and I deserve something special.....coffee-wise

And an un-related topic, I finally removed the Christmas ornaments from my display ball and replaced with these fun balls.  They should do the trick for awhile

Later I hope to get to this.  My hook is getting dusty

Happy Downton Abbey Day!  I wonder what will happen tonight?  

Eating and cleaning

Wow, I bet you're all impressed with how clever this post title is........Sorry :). But it does sum up the past 2 days.  

Not a lick of cooking yesterday.  I had a lunch date with a friend at the Pub.  I had "the best" potato bacon soup. I wish I could get their recipe because it was the best I've tasted.  Then I went out to supper in a nearby town with another couple of pals.  

You might want to brace yourself for the appetizer.......Mussels in a whiskey Alfredo sauce.....

Oh my gawd.....that sauce was amazing.  After the mussels were gone we just sat there and sopped up the rest of the sauce with the bread.   

It's another day in the deep freeze here so I promised myself I'd stay home and clean and then I would reward myself with some hooking.  Vacuumed, dusted, scrubbed the floors and tackled reorganizing the wool shelves.   Here's the before pic

And here is the after.  All the yarns are on top and the wool is a bit better organized. 

Now I think I'm ready to pick a new project. I have a pile of patterns to choose from, it's just a matter of mood I guess. 

Happy Saturday 

Just random

I'd like to introduce you to my new best friend.  We've been spending LOTS of time together

I shoveled this morning.  Then at noon the plow filled me in again.  I shoveled at noon.  And at supper time, thanks to the sidewalk plow, I shoveled at supper time.  And I haven't been warm since.  I was wearing work clothes and I didn't want to bother changing.  Dumb!  I hate winter, really I do.

I think I'll see if this marketing statement is true

Verdict......tasty but not exactly a warm hug. I should have tried cookies too 

The other day I hung my new artwork in the dining room.  You know how much I love shoes...... Seemed appropriate

I'm sure before I started this post I had more interesting random thoughts.......but they're gone.  I think winter has frozen my brain. 

Is it Friday yet??

Distractions

I'm trying to keep my mind occupied.  I hate coming home to an empty house. It's so quiet and lonely. All Millie's things are washed and packed away in the back of my closet.  I had several large reports to write for work so that kept me very busy most of Saturday and all Sunday.  It was one time I didn't mind working on the weekend.  

And around here you can always distract yourself with the never ending chore of shovelling snow.  After work i shoveled aunties steps off and then back here to tackle my driveway before it froze.  

I really appreciate all the supportive comments recently.  Now on to find more distractions while my heart heals.  

Xoxoxo

My sweet baby

I'm heartbroken today.  Early this morning my sweet princess had a seizure followed by what we suspect was a stroke.  She was unable to stand or even hold her head up by the time we arrived at the vet. 

She was the worlds greatest little dog.  So much personality and my best friend. I will miss her forever 

Millie the Wonder Dog will always be in my heart.  There will never be another like her 

Some improvement

Millie seems a little better today.  She bounced around when I came home tonight and there have been no accidents so far today.  Last night we were only up once throughout the night. (Which is a big improvement from the 2-3 times a night lately).  I've changed her food and so far she is eating like a little piggy.  And I hope I don't jinx it but so far she hasn't figured out there are pills hidden in the little pieces of cheese.  

Thanks for all the sweet comments.  And I have received some lovely emails from folks who offered advice, suggestions and stories of their fur babies who have experienced kidney stones.  She isn't showing any signs of pain so I am thankful for that.  I guess the old girl still has some fight in her 

Sick Baby

My little princess Millie is sick.  She's been getting worse with her little pee pee accidents and just not acting right.  This morning I called the Vet and she told me to bring her in at 3:30pm.  AND to bring in a urine sample.  

Hmmm, how am I going to do that! At first she suggested I use my ladle.  My ladle.....that I cook with! So instead I got an aluminum pie plate, trapped Millie In the bathroom  and tried to keep up with her evasive tactics.  Eventually I got a few drops 

It was not easy and it was not pretty!  I transferred my little sample into a pill bottle and away we went. We were there 2 1/2 hours!  Blood tests and X-Rays and a Vet that was not giving me good signals.  She told me to wait about a half hour for another result and then they would see what they could do, "IF there was anything they could do".   I was terrified and naturally fearing the worst.   

Finally she called us back in and said the test results were not as bad as she was expecting.  Millie has kidney stones and some blood in her urine.  We left with antibiotics to try for a week.  If the antibiotics clear up the infection then she may give her some estrogen.  

Poor little baby is worn out.  She's just got her face peeking out from under the blankets.  

The temperature is dropping and it's suppose to go down to minus 30 tonight.  But Millie is all cuddled up.

Where are those hot flashes when you need them?

I'm having one of those days where I can't get warm. Snow, wind, freezing rain - I was not made for winter. 

I woke up and it was snowing.  The weather network said it was going to change to freezing rain early afternoon.  Being an eastern girl, I know it's easier to shovel dry snow than wet snow.  Sure enough around 11am I heard the subtle ting of frozen pellets on the window.  That's my cue.  I bundled up and headed out armed with a shovel and a scraper.  An hour or so later I was wet, cold and my blue jeans were coated with wet white snow.  And I haven't been warm since

I changed into my heaviest sweatshirt and a pair of thick leggings and two pairs of socks.  How many days until Spring??

But a bright spot, after a long wait, the new season of Downton Abbey starts tonight.  I can't wait to curl up under a blanket and find out what zingers The Dowager Countess has to offer.  I love her.  And evil Thomas and dusty Daisy.

(Stolen from Cathy at Acorn Hollow)

A satisfying Saturday

It was one of those bone chilling days that you just want to do nothing.  I knew I had a few errands to do so I got up and hit the stores and then delivered Aunties groceries to her and had a quick visit.  Then the rest of the day was mine.  All mine! 

I ate my first meal in my new dining room - blueberry french toast

It was a real treat to eat like a civilized human instead of on my lap in front of the television. And it was nice to cook something again since I have reclaimed my kitchen from the renovation  clutter.  I also unpacked some of my christmas loot and put it away.  Santa brought me a cozy "therapeutic health" sheet set so I put those in the bed and it will be so nice and warm tonight.  

The afternoon was perfect.  Mama Mia was on TV, I made tea, opened a box of chocolates and cuddled under a blanket.  Perfect

Even Millie found a comfy way to spend the afternoon.  What a dog!!  

Snow and freezing rain is coming tomorrow so I'll need to think of some comfort foods to cook.  I'd rather think of cooking instead of shovelling :). My vacation is almost at an end. I didn't get all the things done I should have and I got distracted by a last minute decision to tear apart a room but I was tired - physically and emotionally.  This time has made me feel recharged.  I needed to just be.....

A friend of mine posted this on facebook today and I'm stealing it.  I think it sums up how I'm feeling about 2015 

Play to your strengths...

A lesson I learned during my room makeover.  Someone with no patience should not do fussy work.  I am not a painter.  Luckily there isn't a lot of light in this room.  Lol.  If you visit, don't look too close at the baseboards :(.  Five days of chaos. My house torn apart and piled up worse than when I moved.  But today I finished!  I put the new dining room back together and also the little kitchen nook was transformed.  

Here is the room before 

And here is my new dining room.  Minus the old wheat patterned wallpaper 

I really like it.  I need to find something to hang on the wall but that will come eventually.

And this area was were the old table was in the back of the kitchen.  Sorry, the only picture I had was when I was drying my duvet.  Lol

And now it's a cozy little reading/coffee/hooking area

Next project is to get rid of the border and those peach valances.  But I'm taking a break from projects for the next few days.  

It's a nice way to start a new year.  2014 was a wild ride for sure.  A huge loss and big changes for me.  But 2015 is looking good and I'm ready to see what's in store for me next. 

Thanks for coming along for the ride :)